Concentric by Ginkgo & Illumina Partner to Strengthen Biosecurity Capabilities

Concentric by Ginkgo & Illumina united, deploying global pathogen monitoring for enhanced biosecurity through a co-marketing agreement. 

Concentric by Ginkgo, the biosecurity & public health unit of Boston- based Ginkgo Bioworks has formed a co-marketing agreement with Illumina, a DNA sequencing global name. The partnership has been formed to expand biosecurity capabilities globally.

As per the agreement, partners aim to showcase Illumina product integration with Concentric's bioradar. This collaboration aims to empower countries by increasing the scale of global pathogen surveillance, and improve early warning for emerging threats.

Concentric and Illumina will jointly market their solutions to improve early warning capabilities for emerging pathogens and to address gaps in global biosurveillance infrastructure.

Concentric's Bioradar Innovation

Concentric is deploying a global pathogen monitoring network, known as a "bioradar" system, across countries to efficiently detect, characterise, and respond to biological threats, supporting informed decision-making for global health objectives.

Deployed across more than a dozen nations, Concentric's integrated services within biosecurity programs establish the bioradar network as an indispensable asset, reinforcing both national security and early warning capabilities.

Commenting on this development, Matt McKnight, GM for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks, said, “Concentric aims to accelerate deployment of our early warning & bioradar programs for governments worldwide as they seek to modernize defenses against biological threats. Our goal is to help build local capacity for biosurveillance to empower countries rather than having to outsource biosecurity to unreliable third parties.”

Other Biotechnology Innovations at Ginkgo

In September, last year, Ginkgo Bioworks and Pfizer joined forces to delve into the realm of RNA-based drug candidates. Ginkgo Bioworks, the US-based biotech pioneer, shared its exclusive RNA technology with Pfizer, enabling the exploration and development of innovative RNA molecules across priority research domains.

Ginkgo's RNA technology, characterised by a high-throughput screening process and a comprehensive multi-parameter design framework, played a central role. This collaborative effort aimed to pinpoint the most effective natural and synthetic elements for specific applications, underscoring Ginkgo Bioworks' commitment to advancing cutting-edge biotechnological solutions.

In a recent development, Illumina introduced the Global Health Access Initiative to enhance access to pathogen sequencing tools for public health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Under this initiative, Illumina took proactive steps by supplying pathogen sequencing tools to eligible global health funding entities. Simultaneously, the company addressed crucial international logistics and supply chain challenges, aiming to facilitate a seamless distribution process. The program was anticipated to commence in the near past, contingent on the effective management of logistics and supply chain operations.

In August, last year, Illumina expanded its presence in India with the inauguration of a new office and an advanced Illumina Solutions Centre in Bengaluru.This strategic move came after 16 years of successful collaboration with its Indian channel partner, Premas Life Sciences. The establishment of a permanent facility signified Illumina's commitment to sustained collaboration with Premas, focusing on the continued development of the genomics market in India.

Ginkgo & Illumina’s Shared Vision

Founded in 2008 by a team of MIT scientists, Ginkgo Bioworks is a biotech company specialised in horizontal cell programming. Led by Jason Kelly, the company excels in genetic engineering to produce bacteria with diverse industrial applications for sectors such as food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals.

Ginkgo Bioworks is also recognised for its biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, dedicated to establishing a global biosecurity infrastructure. Concentric empowers governments, communities, and public health leaders to proactively address and respond to various biological threats.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Illumina, on the other hand, is a leading American biotechnology company with a global reach spanning over 155 countries. Established on April 1, 1998, Illumina specialises in the development, manufacturing, & marketing of integrated systems designed for the analysis of genetic variation & biological function. The company's product portfolio and services are tailored to meet the diverse needs of the sequencing, genotyping, gene expression, and proteomics markets.

Illumina serves a wide-ranging clientele, including genomic research centers, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, clinical research organisations, and biotechnology firms.